Health

What You Need to Know About Hemp Oil

Many people have questions about hemp oil. How does it differ from cannabis or marijuana. Does it contain THC? Can you ingest it? Will it get you high? We’re here to clear all that up for you.

What is hemp oil?

Simply put, cannabis is a family of plant, and hemp and marijuana are two different varieties of that plant, which are grown for different purposes. Specifically, marijuana is grown for the high levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) it contains, while hemp contains only low levels of THC. This is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects and is essentially the reason people consume it recreationally. As such, getting high from the use of hemp oil should not be cause for concern, nor should it be a reason for not using it if it’s something you feel would benefit you.

What can hemp oil do for you?

Hemp oil can be taken orally, topically, sublingually, or smoked in a vaporizer. It has been used to treat or mitigate conditions such epilepsy, pain, anxiety and skin disorders like eczema, with varying levels of success. It is also commonly used as an effective beauty treatment with anti-aging and refining benefits. And there are any number of reasons as to why someone might want to try hemp instead of or in addition to pharmaceutical medications. Some of the these drugs can have harsh side effects and be addictive, whereas hemp oil is considered a natural remedy with very few side effects when the correct dosage is used. Other reasons might be the cost of those pharmaceuticals or simply a desire to stick to organic or holistic treatments.

While many people choose to apply hemp oil externally in products such as soaps, lotions or body creams, it can also be ingested as a dietary supplement or taken sublingually. Again, given the lack of THC that exists in hemp, however, you will not get high from ingesting hemp oil, as you would from smoking or consuming (via “edibles,” for example) marijuana.

How to choose hemp oil

Given hemp oil’s ever-growing popularity in mainstream society, long gone are the days of having to invest in a grow lamp and become an amateur botanist. Places like industrial hemp farms are growing hemp plants, harvesting the seeds and extracting the oil by cold-pressing for use in carriers like creams and soaps. But not all hemp oil is equal. You should always look for a product that is pure (without thinners), organically grown, naturally extracted and grown by certified growers.

What about black cumin seed oil?

Even with the information available, it’s understandable that some people may still have concerns about using products that contain hemp. It could be due to the social stigma or one of the rare side effects, such as digestive or blood-clotting issues (it never hurts to consult your doctor). If this is the case, black cumin seed oil could be a good alternative, which is another all-natural remedy that is experiencing growing popularity. Just a few of the benefits of it can be found in diabetes prevention, healthier hair and weight loss. At times, black cumin seed oil can even be mixed with hemp seed oil as found in certain skin products.

Both hemp oil and black cumin seed oil are organic products with a ton of health benefits. With all the information available for both, there is little-to-no cause to be concerned with adverse side effects or legal ramifications. Due to their effectiveness, these types of products are paving the way for more natural and less-expensive solutions for common ailments.